Pneumatic means for operating inspecting forms



M. E. PIERSON Nov. 15, 1932.

PNEUMATIC MEANS FOR OPERATING INSFECTING FORMS Filed April 29, 1931 M E ,f7/seam INVENToR Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNIT-ED STATES H:mrosns EvERErT Hanson, or CHARLOTTE, NORTH 'canomimY PNEUMATIC MEANS ron OrrinArriva4 rivsrnofrrne FORMS Application led April 29,` 1931.Y AVSeuriall'o. 533,752. j.

' A This invention relates to pneumatic means for operating hosiery; stretchingl Yforms and inspecting forms and the like, and comprises means whereby an'inspecting form may be operatedby compressed airinstead of the usual manual means heretofore employed. .c An object of this invention is to provide a diaphragm,l together with especially constructed ,mechanism associated therewith,

1o with means for attaching thel same to an in-V Y specting orm for hosiery for operating the form and expanding the same for the in- 4 specting operation by. means of compressed air instead of the operator having todo this work manually. It is well known that thousands of stockings Vare inspected each day, by an operator and the force exerted by the operator in manually operating the inspecting form for stretching the hose tends to tire the arms of the operator on account of the force necessary, and the repeated operations incident to inspection lduring a full days work and, therefore, I have provided pneumatic means adapted to be connected to an air pressure line for operating the inspecting forms by air pressure instead of the usual manual means heretofore employed.

Usually the inspecting tables are arranged in rows with an inspecting form in front of and attached to each table, and I have provided means whereby pneumatic means can be attached to each inspection table for supporting and operating the inspecting form,

and at the same time rendering the form capable of rotation about its longitudinal axis. f

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear more .flO fully as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing', in whichigure 1 is a plan view of an inspecting form and my means for operating the same with certain portions thereoibroken away; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken through a three-way valve for controlling the admission and exhausting of compress-ed air to; and from themeans for operating the Yinspecting form. Y Referring more particularly to .the drawing, the'numeral 10 indicates a portion of an inspecting table,and to 'this portion 10,V 1.55 secure a. bracketll whichis secured to the portionV 1() by A anyY suitable means such .as screws12 and this bracket has the sidewall portions 13 and 14: and aback portion -15 With bosses 16 and 16a in the sidewalls 13 60 and 14V for'supporting the inspecting form yand the pneumatic means for operating the same'. YMounted rotatably lin bossI .portion-16 is ya member 17 which is threaded as at'18 and has a lnut k19 threadably secured'thereon with 65 Y a'suitable' set screw 2O for securing they nut 19- in position,'and ixedly secured in the portion 17 is atubularmember composed of material such as brass andindicatedbyreference character'l,whichtubular'meinber has 70 slotsv 22 and 23 therein wand which tubular c member eXtendsthrough-the diaphragm and vis connected vtov-base portion 2480i the dia-v phragm in a ,fixed manner.

l Said base. iember 24 hasa ring portion 25v 75 l secured thereto by means of stud bolts26,

and Vbetween ring 25 and the peripheryzot member 24=issecured a flexibleA diaphragm V.composed of any suitable material such as rubber -and indicated by reference character 30 27. Diaphragm '27 has a central opening,

and' through this centralv opening, tubular member 21 projects, and slidably mounted on member 21 is a kcircular member 28 which Vis secured to diaphragm 27 by means of a 85 ring 29 being secured to ydiaphragm 27 by any, suitable means such as stud bolts 30 beingthreadedly embedded in ring 28 after penetratingring 29. Thisjmemberf28has iixedlysecured therein al pin 31 vwhich is 90 v fxedly .mounted in shaft 32, said ringv penetrating shaft 32 and havinga slidableV relation with slots 22'and 23. A collar 33.1is Vsecured Von shaft 32 to limit its movement to the right in Figures 1 and 2. compression 95v spring 34 is mounted around tubular member 21, and normallypushes the diaphragm and rod 32 to the rightas viewed'in Figures 1 and 2. vlVIember 17 hasla-terallyextendingarms 36 and 3T which arms have links138V and l39 100 pivotally secured in their free ends which links 38 and 39 are pivotally secured at their other ends to expansible bars 40 and 41 which bars are pivotally secured to a member 42 by means of a plurality of links 43, said linksV being pivotally secured at one end to members 40 and 41, and at their other endsto member 42. y

Member 42 has a plurality of openings 44l therein to aidk inthe inspection process so as to render the hose or any defects thereinhighly visible, andthe-end of. member 42 has a Y rounded portion 45 over which the toe of the hose fits. Rod 32 is secured to member 42 by v any desired means such as a pin 48. Mem- 'ber 17 is rotatably mounted in boss 1G so that the inspecting form can be turned. about its longitudinal axis and, of course, diaphragm portion and shaft 52l is turned with the inspecting form. Between diaphragm`27 and base portion 24 a cavity 50 isformedto which cavity a vpassageway 5l leads from the exterior of the diaphragm and a suitable nipple may be secured in the threaded portion 52 of passageway 51, andfrom this nipple a flex- -ible pipe such as re-enforced rubber tubing may be led to pipe 54 of three-way valve 55 which hasY an exhaust port 56 and an intake pipe 57 associated therewith, said valve having a rotatable member 58, having a passageway 59 therethrough, and in the position members, a shaft .,fixedly secured to said slidable member, a bracket, a tube rotatably mounted insaid bracket, means for preventing sliding movement of said tube with relation tolsaidibracket,.said tube having oppositely opposed slots therein, a diaphragm base fixe'dly lsecured* onf saidftube,'la' diaphragmin said diaphragm base, a collarsecuredto'said diaphragm, said collar being -slidably mounted onsaid tube, a pin penetrating said collar and'said slots in said tube, a shaft slidablyniounted'in said tube, said pin alsopenetrating said-shaft, means'for connecting said shaft to said-slidable member, means for admitting Compressedl air `betw'een said diaphragmbase and said'dia- V'phragm,' and means l'for exhausting the` air from said diaphragm chamber. A In testimony whereof I .aiix'my signature.

' lMOSES EVERETT PIERSON shown in Figure 3, compressed air maybe admitted to the valve through pipe '57 from any suitable source of compressed air, and A will pass to the diaphragm in this position,

1,but whenthe valve is given a counter clockl'wise one-quarterturn, then' the passageway 59 willy register with portr 56 and pipe 54, and

the air will be exhausted'from the diaphragm and spring 34 will return the parts to normal unexpanded position as shownin the drawl ing. i

.slidable position with relation to sidewall 14 and members 40 vand 4l being pivotally -secured thereto, and member 42 being secured to shaft 32, it is seen that member 42 will be moved to the left in Figure l and this 'will spreadl members 40 andr4lapart and the inspection operation can be performed while the members 40 and 41l are spread apart, and

f :when the inspection operation is completed, l'the valve will be given a turn 1n a counter clockwisedirection as shown in Figure 3 and the air will be exhausted Vfrom the diaphragm and spring 34 will return the parts to the position shown iii Figures l and 2, and the hose will be removed from the'form and another one placed thereon ready for the operation labove`-described to be repeated.

In the ldrawing and specification there has been set forth al preferred embodiment of the 

